Breaking Into Sunlight
by John Cochran (Author)
This powerful and compassionate book follows a family's journey through the turbulence of parental addiction--and the moments of connection and healing that break through the dark days.
Reese is a seventh-grader in rural North Carolina who loves drawing, basketball, his hardworking mom, and his charming, charismatic dad. But then one day, he comes home to his worst nightmare - his dad on the floor, lips turning blue, overdosed. Again. Reese calls 911 and gets his dad out of danger, and he expects to go on as before.
But for his mom, this is the breaking point, and she declares that she and Reese are leaving until Reese's dad gets real help with his addiction. They move to a rundown trailer outside of town, where Reese is furious with his mom, scared for his dad, and terrified his friends will find out.
Then he meets Meg and Charlie, who have likewise been stranded by circumstances beyond their control. As the trio explores the blackwater river that runs nearby, Reese discovers new beauty and joy in nature and these fresh connections. His dad is also doing better, holding things together, and talking to his mom again. But how long can the good times last? And what will Reese do if -- when -- they end?
In the United States today, an estimated one in eight kids live with a parent with a substance-abuse problem. Written with bracing honesty, deep sympathy, and tenderness for all its characters, Breaking into Sunlight offers readers a powerful affirmation that no one is alone.
Locate at a Library Near You WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online.
Find books about:
Kirkus
A simple and powerful tale about the impact of parental addiction.
School Library Journal
Gr 5-8--Cochran's debut delivers a poignant, relatable read. Seventh grader Reese has become an expert at concealing his father's pain medication addiction and the problems it's causing between his parents. Even his best friends have no idea the secrets Reese is hiding. As Reese's world comes crashing down, his strength and tenacity are tested. To get some distance from the situation, his mother decides to take Reese with her (against his wishes), to live in a trailer on a rural property belonging to a friend. It is here that Reese begins to grapple with the feelings he's been bottling up. He finds an unlikely friendship in two kids: Charlie, who has Down syndrome, and Charlie's older sister, Meg, orphans who live with their grandparents. Together, they explore nature and find solace in swimming and canoeing in the river that joins the property. Themes include honesty, friendship, trust, and forgiveness. All characters read as white. VERDICT An important novel for every library to have. Readers will find they're not alone in dealing with a loved one's addiction, as an estimated one in eight children have a parent dealing with substance abuse.--Tracy Cronce
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
BREAKING INTO SUNLIGHT is a clear-eyed story of addiction and its terrible aftermath, but one full of sympathy, generosity, and hope. This is a book defiant in its honesty and bursting with heart, wrapped around one of the most authentic thirteen year olds I've read in years.—Laurel Snyder, author of ORPHAN ISLAND and THE WITCH OF WOODLAND
JUV013060 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Parents
JUV039040 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Drugs, Alcohol, Substance Abuse
Families
Domestic fiction
Substance abuse
Novels
Social problem fiction
